1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a technique for use in controlling the routing of calls in a communications system, and more specifically, to such a technique wherein call routing scripts are used in controlling call routing.
2. Brief Description of Related Prior Art
Systems for routing calls through public and/or private communications networks are known in the art. Conventional automatic call distribution (ACD) systems route calls to agents in telemarketing and service inquiry centers, and provide limited real-time call management and reporting capabilities. A typical ACD system will monitor the status of the agent and, when an incoming call is received, selects the agent to handle a particular service request. Reporting and performance data from the agents are also generated by the ACD.
One particular type of scheme for distributing calls to agents is disclosed in Frauenthal et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,737,983. According to Frauenthal et al., data representing the present call congestion of each of the ACD systems is accumulated in a data base. Using the data in the data base, the percentage of calls made to the ACD systems, as a group, is determined. The information is then used to generate call routing information. When a new call is made to the central office, the routing information is queried to determine which of the ACD systems is to receive the call, so as to balance the call traffic load across the ACD systems.
Another call distribution scheme is provided in Gechter et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,036,535. This patent discloses a system for automatically distributing telephone calls placed over a network to one of a plurality of agent stations connected to the network via service interfaces, and providing status messages to the network. Gechter et al.""s disclosed system includes means for receiving the agent status messages and call arrival messages from the network, which means are connected via a network service interface to the network. Routing means responsive to the receiving means is provided for generating a routing signal provided to the network to connect the incoming call to an agent station through the network. In the system disclosed in Gechter et al., when an incoming call is made to the call router, it decides which agent station should receive the call, establishes a call with that agent station, and then transfers the original call onto the second call to connect the incoming caller directly to the agent station and then drops out of the connection (See, Gechter et al., column 11, lines 45-51).
Other prior art call routing and distribution techniques are disclosed in Andrews et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,873,130, which is assigned to the assignee of the subject application. This patent discloses a communications system and method for automatically making telephone routing decisions with global authority based upon information gathered in real time from the entire communications system and global optimization criteria. The entirety of the disclosure of the Andrews et al. patent is incorporated herein by reference.
In conventional call processing systems, calls may be routed in accordance with call routing control scripts executed by the system. These scripts may comprise one or more call routing instructions that when executed by the system cause the system to route the call to a desired destination; such destinations are commonly called xe2x80x9clabels.xe2x80x9d A xe2x80x9clabelxe2x80x9d may be a particular destination telephone number, trunk group, or dialed number identification service (xe2x80x9cDNISxe2x80x9d) number.
Heretofore, such labels have been expressly recited in the scripts"" instructions. That is, heretofore, the labels have been expressed in the scripts as specific constant numerical values corresponding to e.g., particular destination telephone numbers, trunk groups, and/or DNIS numbers. Unfortunately, this makes modification of the labels in the scripts difficult, as such modification may require e.g., line-by-line searching and replacement of code in the scripts (i.e., to change the values of the labels), and also makes less modular the script code. As a result, a significant burden may be placed upon script programmers in terms of script coding and debugging time, effort, and frustration. Additionally, the use of constant value labels in the scripts decrease adaptability and flexibility of the scripts for use in other call routing applications.
In accordance with the present invention, a technique is provided for use in controlling the routing of calls in a communications system that overcomes the aforesaid and other disadvantages of the prior art. In one embodiment of the technique of the present invention, a call routing script is generated that includes at least one call routing instruction of a predetermined type that references a variable. The value of the variable is determined by the system when the system executes the script (i.e., at script run-time), and a call is routed to a desired destination based upon the value of the variable computed by the system at run-time.
The at least one instruction of predetermined type may contain a variable expression whose value may be computed at script run-time by the system for use by the system in determining a desired call destination. When computed, the variable expression""s value may specify a destination telephone number, trunk group, and/or DNIS number to which the call is to be routed by the system.
The system may include a user-modifiable database in which a plurality of different respective variables that may be referenced by the call routing instruction may be stored in association with their respective values. The execution by the system of the call routing instruction may cause the system to retrieve the respective value of the variable referenced by the instruction from the database and to perform call routing based upon this value.
Advantageously, the technique of the present invention may be used to replace a constant-value label in a call routing script with a variable or variable expression whose respective value may be computed at script run-time based upon a value in a database external to the script. By simply modifying the value in the database, the value utilized in the script at run time to determine call destination also may be modified. Advantageously, this makes modification, testing, and debugging of call routing control scripts in accordance with the present invention much easier and less time consuming than in the prior art, and increases the adaptation flexibility of scripts according to the present invention.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that although the following Detailed Description will proceed with reference being made to illustrative embodiments and methods of use, the present invention is not intended to be limited to these embodiments and methods of use. Rather, the present invention is of broad scope and is intended to be limited as only set forth in the accompanying claims.